Kid Brother
by Fosterchild
Summary: Darry only wants what's best for his brothers...Soda doesn't make it easy...OneShot written for the WSOTTA June Rumble....


Darry overheard Soda whispering to Steve from the kitchen about Buck's latest illegal rodeo. He poked his head into the living room. "You know I hear you, right? Don't even imagine yourself riding in that rodeo."

Soda sighed. "Darry, please let me. I know you worry but I..."

"I don't care. You're not riding."

Soda looked up at Darry with those big pleading eyes that usually got him whatever he wanted from people. "Come on. Please?"

Darry didn't budge. "Look, I know how much you love the horses. I do. But I'm not gonna have you doing what you did to yourself last time or worse. My answer is final, Soda."

Sodapop wanted in on that rodeo. He could feel the excitement bubbling in his chest. His nerves were raw with exhilaration just thinking about it. Riding was freedom to him; just you and your horse flying down a track or moseying along a trail together. You were one with the horse. There was a real connection. He trusted horses even more than most people.

Darry didn't know it but Soda had been out to Buck's little makeshift ranch with Dally for the past couple months riding and racing Dal for fun. His favorite to ride was a gorgeous sorrel Quarter Horse named Stargazer. He was strong, fast and feisty. Soda fell in love as soon as he laid eyes on him and he was pretty sure Stargazer felt the same about him.

Before his parents died his father had forbidden him to ride after he fell and tore ligaments in his leg. He figured Darry wouldn't be so harsh. Darry had played football and that was just as dangerous if not more so than riding horses.

Soda woke up at 5:00 Saturday morning and pulled on his jeans, t-shirt and boots, grabbed his cowboy hat off the top of his dresser and quietly walked out the front door. He told Dally the night before to wait for him at Buck's. He figured by the time Darry figured out where he was he would already have raced and it would be too late to do anything about it. He had to ride. Darry'd just have to understand.

Darry awoke at 9:00, got out of bed and started the usual routine of making breakfast.

Ponyboy shuffled into the kitchen moments later still rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Where's Soda?"

"He's not still in bed?" Darry asked.

Pony shook his head.

Darry began fuming. He wanted to give Soda the benefit of the doubt and believe his brother wouldn't blatantly disobey him but he knew in his gut where he went. He looked up at the clock. The rodeo had started at 9. Darry would give him till 10. Then he would ground him till he was 21.

It wasn't that Darry didn't get it. He did. And normally he didn't treat Soda like a kid. He treated him almost like an equal since he worked full time and contributed to the household. He just knew that their dad didn't want Soda to be on a horse anymore and he wanted to honor his dad's memory by enforcing that one thing.

The second hand hit 10 and Darry called to Ponyboy and grabbed his keys. "Come on. We're going to the rodeo."

Just as they were getting into the pickup Dally came around the corner in Buck's T-Bird and stopped in front of the house. He got out and walked over to the truck. "Dar, Soda's in the hospital;" he said, not meeting Darry's gaze. He knew how Darry felt about Soda racing and didn't enjoy being the bearer of bad news now.

"What happened?" Darry asked angrily.

Dally was biting his lip. "He, uh…he fell off a horse. Messed his face up a little. And uh…"

Darry growled; "And what, Dallas?"

"His leg's banged up, too." Dally stepped back out of arms reach of Darry. He didn't want to get slugged.

Darry took a deep, controlled breath. Inside he was ready to explode but knew it wouldn't do any good. The damage was done. "Ok let's get to the hospital then. "

Dally led Darry and Pony back to the trauma room where the orderly took Soda when he was brought in. A nurse was next to Soda's bed asking him questions. She looked up as the three walked in.

"I hope someone here is his guardian;" she said, eyebrows raised.

Soda groaned knowing he was in deep trouble now that Darry was there. He was glad, too, though because it was rough answering all those questions the nurse was shooting at him being in the pain he was in.

Darry wouldn't make eye contact with Soda right away. He just told the nurse he was his legal guardian, signed some papers and was told the doctor would be in for Soda shortly.

"Leave us alone for a few, guys;" Darry told Dally and Ponyboy.

When they were alone Darry sat down in the plastic chair next to the bed. He finally looked at Soda. His top lip was swollen and bleeding from a big gash in it and his left cheek was showing the start of a big bruise. His left arm and both hands were scraped up and bloody. The left side of his jeans had already been cut up to his thigh by the nurse, Darry suspected. It looked like they cleaned the wounds on his leg but they were still oozing blood from his calf to the middle of his thigh. His boots were off already and his leg was elevated on two pillows.

"Soda…."

"Darry, I know. I was wrong."

Darry's face contorted slightly as he tried to control the volume of his voice. "Wrong is an understatement! I hope it was worth it, kid, cuz you're not going near another horse til you're 18!"

Soda played with the tattered edge of his cut pant leg. "I didn't mean to go behind your back. I just missed it, Dar. I figured you'd understand. You love football."

"I do love football but I gave it up except to play with you guys once in awhile. We have to take care of Pony. We can't be goofin' off like kids!" Darry exclaimed.

"BUT I AM A KID!" Soda yelled, not caring who heard him.

It was like a slap in the face for Darry. How could he really have thought of Soda as his equal? How could he have thought of his brother who was 4 years younger than him as anything BUT a kid?

"You are a kid, Soda. And you're gonna be grounded like a kid, too."

"Ok;" Soda said quietly and looked up into Darry's eyes. "I'm sorry, Dar."

"It's alright, kiddo. We all make mistakes." Darry said, knowing that he was telling himself that just as much as he was Soda.


End file.
